Books!

[thegreyarea]

Hi mchristiana! I can't give you any advice on that topic, but I'm sure you will receive some from our Nordic Minnions!
I just wanted to second Alkia in welcoming you in the Forum, and would suggest taking a little time to add an introduction for yourself on the... introduction thread: https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=131.0 It's a great way to make yourself known to the other Minnions.

So, welcome!

[RanVor]

I went back to this thread to post something and, with no small amount of surprise, found out that I was the one who posted here last, because apparently no one else reads anything (it's a joke, don't get offended, please).

I've just reread one series of Polish fantasy books that I've read a few years ago because a new volume came out in the meantime that I didn't get the chance to read until now and I thought I'd refresh my memories of the previous books as well. It turns out that it is, in fact, better than I remembered. It tells the story of a new recruit in a secret unit of vampires within the Polish Internal Security Agency and includes themes like blind obedience, divided loyalties and sacrificing lives to a cause. It's a pretty good read overall. And why am I telling you this? Because I found out that the first three books (which are the ones I've originally read, and form a self-contained story on their own) have actually been released in English under the titles of Nighter (I don't like the translation of this one, btw, but whatever), Renegade and Nobody (apparently there's also a compilation volume titled Vesper). So if you'd like to check out some Polish fantasy, they may not be the best of the best, but at least they're available without learning another language just for this purpose, so...

A warning, though: the series is about vampires, so there's a lot of blood in it and a couple of sex scenes as well. It's also Polish, so there's a realistic (read: significant) amount of swearing. If you're strongly averse to any of those things, these books are not for you. Otherwise, well, go ahead.

For those of you who may be interested, the author's name is Magdalena Kozak, and you will need it because searching for "nighter" in Google doesn't give any relevant results. Trust me, I tried.

EDIT: I've read the official English description of the first book. It's a bit misleading, but it does get across the gist of what is generally going on in the series: there are good vampires and bad vampires, and the main character joins the former to fight the latter. And then it turns out not everything is as black-and-white as it seems...

[Róisín]

Some of us do still read. I have just finished reading my way through the Australian Geographic book ‘Tree Stories’ by Peter Solness. Wonderful book - it was a gift from Yastreb, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the parts with accounts of trees I already knew and loved, and the interviews with people I already knew about their favourite trees. I was especially touched by the photo of Judith Wright and her loved tree. The book is much appreciated!

[Yastreb]

So, I've read a lot of Terry Pratchett. And I have read The Fifth Elephant many, many times. The Scone of Stone features heavily in it as the coronation seat of the king of the dwarfs, and its authenticity is a plot point (established since the start, so if spoiler, extremely minor). It's not actual stone, it's dwarf bread (very little difference).

Only today did it click.

Scotland, and now the UK, has the Stone of Scone (actually made out of stone, limestone, and kept in a place called Scone before it got sacked). The authenticity of which has been contested for about 200 years. And since it got stolen and then returned in the 1950s it's been rumoured to be a copy.

When I read The Fifth Elephant, I'd already had a good laugh at the title (The Fifth Element, ha ha) and when I saw the "Scone of Stone" I recall grinning and then doing a double-take and wondering, how far ahead did Pratchett plan his stories? Had he been working towards this moment all these years?

Speaking of jokes not understood for years... I read Homage to Catalonia in school, and there was a reference to a comrade of Orwell's being wounded in the thigh and remarking to Orwell that it was the closest he'd been to a DSO. I wondered why the Distinguished Service Order was mentioned here. It wasn't until many years later that i found the other meaning of DSO as Great War slang; Dick Shot Off.

[Mebediel]

I've been inconsistent with this (because I've been a bit absent from the forum recently), but since I made it part of my New Year's resolution to keep posting these...hopefully people don't mind! I'll stick things under a spoiler so they don't get too long.

Spoiler: show

March

• Noragami vols. 1-5: I found a full set of Noragami books at the local second-hand bookstore, so I've been slowly gathering them as my budget allows (although the pandemic interrupted that, so I still don't have the full set). It's one of my favorite manga series, although I would disclaim that I'm not the biggest fan of how it talks about suicide in the first volume or so (it's not the worst, exactly, but it definitely could have been better...but the issue never comes up again in the series, so I'm not sure why it was included in the first place).

April

• The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius: I listened to this in audiobook form and learned that I don't process philosophy well in audiobook form. Oops.
• The Turkish Embassy Letters by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu: This is a collection of Lady Wortley Montagu's (the wife of the British ambassador to Turkey's) letters to her friends about her travels through Europe to Turkey in 1716. It's an interesting way to learn about British perceptions of (1) the rest of Europe at the time, and (2) the Muslim world. Lady Wortley Montagu provides extensive commentary on what life for women is like (as she perceives it) in the parts of the world she has traveled to, which makes her letters particularly valuable in the context of the genre of travel writing, which tends to be dominated by male perspectives.
• The Buddhist Poetry of the Great Kamo Priestess: Daisaiin Senchi and Hosshin Wakashu by Edward Kamens: I read this book for my Global Middle Ages class, and a lot of our focus was on Buddhism (imported from India/China) interacted with Shintoism (local to Japan) in court life and the role women played in creating vernacular poetry. I learned a lot from the book (although I started with 0 knowledge of the subject, so I guess that's not saying much), and I liked how the book interweaves the poetry and its commentary. The visiting professor who had assigned the reading was caught off guard by some of the translations, though, so it might be worth looking up other translations of the poem if you decide to check this book out!

May

• Before Orientalism: Asian Peoples and Cultures in European Travel Writing, 1245-1510 by Kim M. Phillips: This is a very well-written, thoughtful, and complex analysis of medieval travel writing that asks whether or not postcolonial theories (specifically Edward Said's Orientalism) can/should be applied to the Middle Ages. Phillips acknowledges the ways in which medieval travel writing has similarities to/feeds into later Orientalist writings, but she leans towards the "no, Orientalism cannot be directly applied to medieval travel writing because there are a lot of ways in which medieval travel writing does not fit Said's description of Orientalism." I slightly disagree with her conclusions (my perspective is more "Orientalism can be applied with some modifications, which Said himself said should be allowed for") but still really liked her book and found it valuable.

June

• The Radical King, edited by Cornel West: This is a collection of speeches and sermons by Martin Luther King Jr. I found that having MLK's speeches and sermons selected and organized to be helpful (he wrote so much!), and West's commentary helped provide additional historical/conceptual context to some of the things MLK was saying.

[Auxivele]

Mebediel, I've never read Noragami, but I watched (most of) the anime a few years ago. Are they very similar, or is it one of those cases where they start diverging greatly about halfway through?

I recently started reading The Raven Tower, which I'm liking so far but I'm only a handful of pages in. I've been reading Beloved for class, which is why I haven't gotten much further in. Beloved is a good book albeit a bit intense at times (which is understandable, considering it's about slavery).

[RanVor]

Oh, right, the question I've been meaning to ask for years but never got an opportunity to - is the Noragami manga actually good? Because I watched some of the anime and it, well, wasn't. I mean, it wasn't terrible, just nowhere near what it's apparent popularity would suggest.

BTW, it's good to know that manga counts as books for the purposes of this thread.

[Mebediel]

Mebediel, I've never read Noragami, but I watched (most of) the anime a few years ago. Are they very similar, or is it one of those cases where they start diverging greatly about halfway through?

Oh, right, the question I've been meaning to ask for years but never got an opportunity to - is the Noragami manga actually good? Because I watched some of the anime and it, well, wasn't. I mean, it wasn't terrible, just nowhere near what it's apparent popularity would suggest.

I did really like the anime when I first watched it, but upon rewatching after reading the manga, I would definitely say that the manga is better (imo it is good). They're mostly similar, but there are a few notable differences. With regards to plot, Rabo was added into the anime to provide an ending to season 1 when the anime caught up to the manga, so that whole arc doesn't exist in the manga. The anime picks up the manga plot again in season 2, but leaves out a few key character/plot moments during the finale, so who knows how closely season 3 would stick to the manga (if season 3 ever happens). With regards to characters, characters get much more fleshed out in the manga, and there are fewer creepy moments/the female characters are treated better...Noragami is written by two women mangaka, which I know doesn't necessarily mean that the female characters are well-written, but in this case it definitely shows, especially in comparison to the anime.

BTW, it's good to know that manga counts as books for the purposes of this thread.

If it's a physical object that communicates recorded information, then that counts in my book in my opinion!

[RanVor]

If it's a physical object that communicates recorded information, then that counts in my book in my opinion!

...So I guess ebooks don't count... 

[Jitter]

Of course they do! They “communicate recorded information”, now don’t they?

I’ve been reading a great book I’d love to recommend to you all, but unfortunately it’s only available in Finnish! It’s historical fiction / (low-ish) fantasy, set in the 1400’s Finland. Christianity has been around for a few hundred years but the common folk, especially the families who live in the homesteads out in along the lakes (near Toivosaari btw!) keep the ancient faith and traditions. And it’s true, the Näkki attacks people, the kotitonttu (keeper spirit of the home) defends the family, the wise man can heal wounds etc. I hope it will be translated at some point. The writer Mikko Kamula is a folklorist and historian so it’s based on what is actually known of the traditions at the time.

[viola]

In the last month or so I've been reading some scifi classics: 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Left Hand of Darkness (which I really loved) and Neuromancer.

Right now I'm reading VE Schwab's comic book series Prince of Steel (I could rant all day about how much I love Schwab) and after that I plan on reading Boy's Life and if I don't get distracted by the frankly, unhealthy amount of fanfic I've been reading I've got all 15 books of the Wheel of Time series on my kindle.

[RanVor]

In the last month or so I've been reading some scifi classics: 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Left Hand of Darkness (which I really loved) and Neuromancer.

Right now I'm reading VE Schwab's comic book series Prince of Steel (I could rant all day about how much I love Schwab) and after that I plan on reading Boy's Life and if I don't get distracted by the frankly, unhealthy amount of fanfic I've been reading I've got all 15 books of the Wheel of Time series on my kindle.

Neuromancer is good.

I've tried to read through the Wheel of Time some time ago, but I got stuck at book 3. I'll get back to it...eventually.

[Alkia]

In the last month or so I've been reading some scifi classics: 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Left Hand of Darkness (which I really loved) and Neuromancer.

Right now I'm reading VE Schwab's comic book series Prince of Steel (I could rant all day about how much I love Schwab) and after that I plan on reading Boy's Life and if I don't get distracted by the frankly, unhealthy amount of fanfic I've been reading I've got all 15 books of the Wheel of Time series on my kindle.

oo i read The Left Hand of Darkness last summer (its so good!!! i also love!!!), and am currently consuming whatever other Ursula Le Guin books I can get my hands on. A few weeks ago i finally finished the second volume of Hainish stories, and I am currently reading Lavinia (which is historical fiction, not fantasy or science fiction, but I'm loving it. Reminds me of a book I read a while ago called "Circe", by Madeline Miller, which is also a fantastic read that I highly recommend). 

I did really like the anime when I first watched it, but upon rewatching after reading the manga, I would definitely say that the manga is better (imo it is good). They're mostly similar, but there are a few notable differences. With regards to plot, Rabo was added into the anime to provide an ending to season 1 when the anime caught up to the manga, so that whole arc doesn't exist in the manga. The anime picks up the manga plot again in season 2, but leaves out a few key character/plot moments during the finale, so who knows how closely season 3 would stick to the manga (if season 3 ever happens). With regards to characters, characters get much more fleshed out in the manga, and there are fewer creepy moments/the female characters are treated better...Noragami is written by two women mangaka, which I know doesn't necessarily mean that the female characters are well-written, but in this case it definitely shows, especially in comparison to the anime.
If it's a physical object that communicates recorded information, then that counts in my book in my opinion!

oh man, memories! i read the Noragami manga years ago and remember almost nothing, but I know I liked it! You have prompted me to want to reread it. But speaking of mangas and female mangaka, I recently rewatched Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and am in the process of reading the manga. It's very close to the anime, so so far not too much new or exciting stuff has come up, but I LOVE it so much.

also, i kinda forgot this thread existed, so it's very pleasant discovering what everyone else is reading!

[Jitter]

I love the Wheel of Time! I know it’s somewhat considered to be fantasy of the bubblegum variety, but I really don’t know why. There is lots and lots (and lots!) of description, which apparently is boring to some readers but I liked it. For example I like the way that the fact there are different magics for men and women also has repercussions in the roles of the genders. Too many fantasy books have important female characters such as adventurers and queens, but all other women are in the roles medieval women had. (Perhaps partially resulting from this the gender dichotomy is very stark. But then it almost always is in fantasy)

I’ve been planning to reread some le Guin, first and foremost the Left Hand of Darkness (Earthsea I have read many times already). There was also another scifi one by her I loved very much but I don’t remember the name (I’ve read it in Finnish only).

[Mebediel]

Reminds me of a book I read a while ago called "Circe", by Madeline Miller, which is also a fantastic read that I highly recommend

Oo I just picked that one up! I've only heard good things about it, so I'm really looking forward to it.

oh man, memories! i read the Noragami manga years ago and remember almost nothing, but I know I liked it! You have prompted me to want to reread it. But speaking of mangas and female mangaka, I recently rewatched Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and am in the process of reading the manga. It's very close to the anime, so so far not too much new or exciting stuff has come up, but I LOVE it so much.

The FMA manga is *chef's kiss*

...So I guess ebooks don't count... 

Of course they do! They “communicate recorded information”, now don’t they?

Aha yeah woops...ebooks and audiobooks should totally count as books. Definitions are hard lol